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Dark Matter 9781409123798 Books

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Dark Matter 9781409123798 Books

Although she seems to think of this as a ghost story, and it is, it's interesting that most of us in a discussion of the book last month were a little taken aback by the ways this book defied any such expectations from such a description. The horror is more in an encounter with the past, with the possibility and presence of evil in the way that people can treat each other. But I'm not sure that the past of that horror really justifies the continuance into the present. Possibly the operation of that past evil in the present is somehow expiated or played out in the activities of these present day (in the context of the story, our present is around a hundred years later), but that's not at all clear. What redeems this book for some of us is the beauty of the language and the stark descriptions of the Arctic scenery and natural phenomena, such as the glory of the moonlight in the total absence of the sun for days at a time. The portrayals of the characters of the men and their interactions are also memorable and worthwhile. It's a portrayal of the beauty of the world and the brokenness of humans, that seems realistic, but it doesn't really offer any sort of prescription for progress/redemption/a better world of beautiful human society--except maybe in the kindness between people which is its own momentary justification? Persistence, just surviving the horrors of human society as wounded, damaged people is the best we can manage? Or is it just to contemplate a mystery? The book is worth reading and it's short. Maybe even haunting.


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Dark Matter 9781409123798 Books Reviews

I thought that maybe this was going to be like Dan Simmons "Terror" one many of the other books I've read about Arctic expeditions all of which I loved but it's not...it's something else...and very good! And unlike the Simmons' book it ends, rather elegantly where it should instead of prolonging the narrative and leaving the reader exhausted and confused. A good ghost story that doesn't feel the need to veer into true horror. I recommend it with the proviso that horror fans might be disappointed
This isn't an epic novel. It's short and simple, but suspenseful. Many reviewers say it's not scary; I found it fairly scary. It's quite realistic, which is what makes it so creepy.
When I began reading it, I got the mistaken idea that it was going to somehow resemble Frankenstein (Shelley), because it began with a letter and is composed as a series of journal entries, which start with the main character beginning a journey to the far north. However, any resemblance to Frankenstein (a novel I hated), quickly faded as the story picked up. It's well-written, but in a very simple style. Perfect for what it's supposed to be.
I enjoyed this novel, and found that I could not read it right before bed. However, it doesn't compare to Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, which is incredible. It's young adult, but so well-constructed that any adult fan of good literature will enjoy them as well. I highly recommend the audiobooks, read by Ian McKellen.
I've read a great deal of material on Arctic exploration, and I've been to my fair share of cold, remote, and desolate climes, so I suspect that this slim novel resonates more with me than it might with others. Regardless, this tale is haunting and evocative, suffused with dread and foreboding, deftly depicting the slowly accumulating terror of isolation and loneliness.

The prose is often spare and seldom given to wild flights of drama, but for all that, it aptly conveys the creeping fear that can possess those who have been placed in a bleak and hostile environment that is dominated by the relentless cold and dark. Gorehounds will be most disappointed, and those who enjoy lavish and florid set pieces of carnage and pain will likewise find this to be thin gruel. This is definitely an atmospheric piece that counts on the reader to let his or her own imagination invite the fear on in.

I would suggest that those who pick up this book also go on to read Adam Nevill's "The Ritual". Both feature a small group of Englishmen forging into Arctic terrain for which they are not really prepared, and both center on an outsider character who is separated from the others by divisions of class and income and career. Both volumes also take their time to build up the tension and let the anxiety and panic increase, but Nevill's work is rather more literal in certain respects, with more concrete and physical manifestations of menace, and is somehow the weaker for that. Paver's tale, of course, will remind many of "The Turn of the Screw", which may or may not be to the reader's liking, although there are indeed a couple of twists along the way.

A handful of photographs of scenery near the Arctic Circle is included, along with an interview with the author. This is excellent stuff for those who want a bit of a more cerebral horror story and are willing to put up with a slow burn, or in this case, a long freeze.
I consider myself extremely picky about books. Too picky sometimes. If a book doesn't grab me, I stop. But Dark Matter grabbed me. And held me. Not just the creepy ghost story aspect (which is done extremely well) but the psychological toll that isolation takes. The cold, dark loneliness of the Artic tundra. The silence broken only by the eerie sound of wind and huskies howling. How do you not fall in love with being transported so completely to another place - a place you'd actually never, ever want to go to? I loved the feeling, the atmosphere, the fear, the scariness, the real-ness. And what I loved most -without giving anything away - is that the author didn't try cover up the fear with some silly rational explanation. It was raw and real and surreal. And without apology. Well-written and scary? So hard to find. But it's here. Enjoy.
Although she seems to think of this as a ghost story, and it is, it's interesting that most of us in a discussion of the book last month were a little taken aback by the ways this book defied any such expectations from such a description. The horror is more in an encounter with the past, with the possibility and presence of evil in the way that people can treat each other. But I'm not sure that the past of that horror really justifies the continuance into the present. Possibly the operation of that past evil in the present is somehow expiated or played out in the activities of these present day (in the context of the story, our present is around a hundred years later), but that's not at all clear. What redeems this book for some of us is the beauty of the language and the stark descriptions of the Arctic scenery and natural phenomena, such as the glory of the moonlight in the total absence of the sun for days at a time. The portrayals of the characters of the men and their interactions are also memorable and worthwhile. It's a portrayal of the beauty of the world and the brokenness of humans, that seems realistic, but it doesn't really offer any sort of prescription for progress/redemption/a better world of beautiful human society--except maybe in the kindness between people which is its own momentary justification? Persistence, just surviving the horrors of human society as wounded, damaged people is the best we can manage? Or is it just to contemplate a mystery? The book is worth reading and it's short. Maybe even haunting.